Share this with

American high school films aren’t like they used to be (Picture: Sony Pictures)

American high school films aren’t like they used to be, starring beautiful actors in their 20s playing teens whose biggest issues lie solely within their friendship group or the boy next door.

From The Hate U Give to Bernie Feldstein’s upcoming Booksmart, teenagers are finally being given the credit they deserve on screen and this is no clearer than in Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, out on 26 April.

Starring Elsie Fisher as 13-year-old Kayla Day, the film follows Kayla in the last week of middle school (year eight in the UK) and is a stunning and shocking portrayal of what it means to be 13 in the 21st century with the desires of our children to have more followers, more likes, more subscribers while continuing to attempt to build in-person relationships as well.

Kayla lives with her single father, and on her YouTube videos – which no one watches – she promotes self-love and being yourself, offering words of wisdom and a level of confidence that belies her real life persona, where she struggles to practise what she preaches, remaining quiet and blending into the background; winning Most Quiet at the end of school assembly, Kayla close her eyes in quiet acceptance but not happiness.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Watching Kayla is uncomfortable and embarrassing because it’s so real.

You’re one person online – sometimes perhaps your true self – and another in real life and being a teenager is hard enough as it is, and I can’t even begin to imagine how much harder YouTube and social media have made it.

During this final week of school she visits the high school, makes a new friend with her high school mentor, and unwillingly attends the birthday party of her school’s Queen Bee where she offers a birthday present that is deemed ‘not cool enough’ by the girls at the party.

But it’s the quiet moments that make this film; Kayla constantly saying sorry to anyone and everyone, her internal anger at being unable to express herself how she wants to, her need to keep herself as small as possible so as to be ignored.

But it’s the quiet moments that make this film (Picture: Sony Pictures)

Yet also her never ending optimism and decency.

When she discovers a time capsule video from her nine-year-old self, she rolls her eyes and acts like nine-year-old Kayla knew nothing yet she later films another video for her 18-year-old self and it is equally as upbeat and serious in her hope for future Kayla’s happiness.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Eighth Grade is Burnham’s directorial debut, and he offers beautiful wide shots and intimate zooms that represent our protaganist’s wider place in the world but also the uncomfortable and awkward moments of being a teenager.